Hackerazzi gets ten years prison

We hear reports of arrested hackers, pirates and all sorts of cyber criminals on daily basis, but the case of Christopher Chaney is a bit different.

Chaney was sentenced to ten years in prison after he pleaded guilty to hacking several celebrity emails. His high-profile victims included the likes of Mila Kunis, Scarlett Johansson, Christina Aguilera, Simone Harouche, and Renee Olstead. More than 50 victims from the glittery entertainment industry were connected to the case.

Judge James Otero said it his “hard to fathom” Chaney’s mindset. "These types of crimes are as pernicious and serious as physical stalking," he told the Associated Press.

Chaney apparently gained access to the emails by simply using the “Forgot your password” feature in their email accounts, using personal information obtained from the net to answer the questions. He even managed to get his hands on nude photos sent by Scarlett Johansson to her former husband.

Johansson described Chaney’s actions as “perverted and reprehensible.”

In case you think the ten-year sentence is a bit steep, consider this – Chaney faced up to 60 years in prison on a wide range of charges. He managed to get ten after entering a plea bargain.

So the lesson here is clear. Don’t hack emails or God forbid phones. Leave that to Murdoch’s press.